


Starheart

by sunnilee



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, I usually write a lot of character death, Modern AU, but I really just want this to be about shallura, but just fluff one-shots that are connected to each other, but you know i really want to read fluff too?, granted I don't think this will follow any regular story telling pattern, i'll add more characters as the story progresses, maybe there will be subplots in this series of oneshots, prompts?? or i just might have to end it, same universe as Shiro's Kisses if you've read that work of mine!, shallura - Freeform, so eventually when i run out of ideas, so this is the start of it, there is also no end in sight, there's no /plot/ planned but stories grow organically so who knows
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2016-10-25
Packaged: 2018-08-24 03:28:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8355271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnilee/pseuds/sunnilee
Summary: Modern AU: Starlight hair and Lion hearts.Series of related one-shots.(Same universe as Shiro's Kisses)





	1. Begin

May had become a particularly bothersome month for Shiro. When he was a student, he reveled in the countdown to May, crossing off each day on his monthly planner as his summer freedom approached. After graduation, he still viewed it with delight because it meant bright skies and warming his skin under the sun.

But in recent years… after the Garrison hired him as an Academic Advisor, the end of the school year meant his mind was no longer occupied by the hustle of paperwork and his students’ schedules. Instead, he was left to stew in his own thoughts until he would wake up in the middle of the night, cold sweat chilling his body and phantom tingling of his right arm. The first year his insomnia started, he tried exercising off the excess energy that made his hands shake. He counted reps until he collapsed with exhaustion, but all that led to was his first experience with sleep paralysis and he _never_ wanted to see… to _feel_ that again.

The second year, he decided to revisit his favorite childhood animated films whenever his body decided to scare itself awake. The lull of its musical composition, its soothing color palette and line art often calmed the pounding in his ears enough to let him sink back into his sheets with a peace of mind. Even so, the exhaustion and stress from his lack of sleep and memories was taking a toll on his body. On a particularly sleepless night where even his movies didn’t help, he spotted white hairs coming in and he smiled wryly to himself. _Midlife crisis in my twenties. That doesn’t bode well._ He scheduled a haircut for the next morning, bought some bleach and silver hair dye, and committed several hours to watching videos on a home dye job. After a month of carefully lifting his hair color and keeping it as healthy as he could, Shiro blew his new silver fringe away from his nose and smiled. He hadn’t slept this well in a month.

By the third year, he found his balance. He got more involved with the Garrison campus, even off the academic calendar. There were always improvements to be made to the student advising department, new staff to meet, and new events to plan. He kept a filled schedule to keep his mind active and prevent himself from falling into the trap of self-imposed solitude and guilt. He took days off so he wouldn’t cause burnout, because his first run with sleep paralysis was still enough to get his heart racing in broad daylight… Regardless, Shiro found a system that worked and he was going to stick with it as long as he could.

* * *

Shiro had just finished his cool down after his morning 5K run when his phone buzzed on his arm. He swiped the notification to find that Human Resources sent out a newsletter early this morning introducing the new employees joining them for the upcoming school year and renovations occurring on campus. He turned on his laptop to pull up the email. With his exercise endorphins still running high, he grabbed a stickypad and pen to write down each name, making a note to stop by their departments to introduce himself. His hand stilled when he reached the Physics department.

There were a few new Assistant Professors, but there was an announcement about the construction of the Holt Library on the engineering campus. Shiro felt his gut twist and he shut his laptop. He needed a shower and he couldn’t decide if he deserved biting cold or scalding heat.

* * *

_Gravel digging into his knees._

_A sharp blow from behind._

_The sound of bodies dragging against the floor._

_“Say goodbye to your father for me—“_

His chest was heaving and his eyes were wet. Sweat lined his forehead and Shiro choked on a sob. _I’m sorry. I’m so sorry._

He swung his legs out of bed and went back to his kitchen where he left his laptop. He resumed his scrolling. Biology. Chemistry. Natural Sciences. English. Humanities. Foreign Languages. Music. Arts. Athletics. Student Advising—

Shiro scrolled back up. _Student Advising?_ Since the Garrison hired him, the Student Advising department had stayed relatively stable… but according to the newsletter, President Iverson added a branch for international students. Shiro smiled weakly. _Iverson has a heart after all._

He read each sentence of the new branch’s description carefully, dedicating its mission statement and values to memory. And then her picture appeared.

_Allura Falah._

His eyes flew to her silver hair and grinned. Maybe now his students would get off his case about his hair color. He clicked on her name and went through her resume. With each section, Shiro felt his heart grow with admiration for a woman he hadn’t even met yet.  He scrolled back to the top and copied her email address into a new draft.

A few minutes later, he hit _send_ and leaned back in his chair. He had a new co-worker. He could keep his mind occupied. There were plenty of things for him to do, to take care of before the school year started. He blew at his fringe and couldn’t help the excitement bubbling in his chest.

He had a new co-worker. She has silver hair. Her accomplishments left him with inspiration for his own students. Shiro flopped back into bed and smiled into his pillow.

_I can’t wait to meet her._


	2. Awake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allura lies awake and laments her living space.   
> But at least her co-worker seems nice.

Allura couldn’t sleep.

She glanced quickly at the clock on her nightstand and sighed. _3 am._ Part of it was jetlag, but it was mostly her environment. Her new apartment was a 15 minute walk to the Galaxy Garrison campus, but was still very much in the center of student night life. She would have preferred somewhere quieter… and somewhere that didn’t have the smell of dumpsters from the restaurant next door, but there hadn’t many options left that weren’t student leases. Down the hall, the thrum of a low bass started up again _._ She groaned and rolled onto her stomach, burying her face into her pillow. The music began roughly 6 hours ago, only to grow louder and be joined by slurred, off-pitch voices. If the noise was this bad in May, she couldn’t even imagine what she would hear when _all_ the students were back on campus.

Allura groaned again and shifted onto her back. She stared at the ceiling, eyes skipping over the bars of light that bled through her blinds. She really ought to start looking into other places. Not only did light leak through, she could feel the night breeze tickle her skin through her poorly sealed windows. She could tolerate it for now… but things would have to change when winter set in.

A particularly loud scream and the obnoxious laughter that followed it was the last straw. Allura flung the sheets off her bed and yanked on a light jacket. Just as she was pulling on her shoes, she heard a knock at her door. Several knocks. Then more frantic knocking and a voice yelling through the door, “Hello?! I know you’re in there! I saw you unlock your door this afternoon!”

Allura shuddered. _What kind of creep…_ She reached for her phone when the voice called out again.

“C’mon! It’s an emergency!”

She huffed and pocketed her phone. She swung her door open to be met with a shaggy haired blonde with the smell of alcohol and something she couldn’t quite identify wafting off of him. Allura fought the urge to wrinkle her nose, even if the smell hit her like a wall.

“What do you want?”

Her neighbor’s eyes lit up. “Well—“

“No. Let me rephrase. What’s your ‘emergency’?”

His face relaxed into a lazy smile. “I’m Rolo.”

Allura wanted to shut the door on his foot as he looked her up and down. Before she could do so, he started talking again.

“My girlfriend back there,” he pointed at the open door down the hall, “thought it’d be a great idea to cook while she’s high out of her mind.”

Allura raised an eyebrow.

“She’s just over there… trying to chop some vegetables into boiling water. And y’know, I’m worried she’s gonna burn herself or something but guess what she does instead?”

She stayed silent while he cracked up against her doorway. Allura felt her patience wearing extremely thin as Rolo’s laughter dragged on until he crumpled to the floor wheezing. From the ground, he looked up at her with tears in his eyes. “Man. Nyma’s a real hoot. You should meet her—“

“Get to the point.”

Still smiling and wiping away tears, Rolo choked out, “You got any band-aids or something? Nyma, she… ha, she tried cutting a knife with a carrot—“

Allura quickly went to her kitchen cabinet and pulled out the tiny first aid kit she packed and dropped it into Rolo’s lap. “Keep it.”

With that, she slammed the door in his face. His muffled voice sounded through the door. “Thanks, Silver! You should join us next time!”

Allura inhaled deeply and pinched the bridge of her nose. Her job hadn’t even started and she was already getting a headache from her _living space_. She couldn’t imagine coming back to this place after a very likely stressful day at work. If these kinds of events kept up for the next few years, she wouldn’t have to maintain her hair color anymore. Grimacing at her potentially frustration-filled future, Allura kicked her shoes off and headed back to her bedroom. The only good thing about her apartment.

Her bedroom window had the best view of the sky.

Just as she settled into her blankets, her phone buzzed. It was an email from someone at the Garrison. She checked the time. _4 am._ _Strange. Who would be sending emails out at 4 in the morning?_

Allura unlocked her phone and tapped the email labeled ‘Meeting?’

> _From: takashirogane@galgarrison.edu_
> 
> _Ms. Falah,_
> 
> _My name is Takashi Shirogane and I’d like to give you an early welcome to the Galaxy Garrison! I’m by no means the official tour guide or HR representative, but I also work in Student Advising as an academic advisor and I thought it’d be nice if we could meet before the school year got started? I’ve been around for a while and I’d love to help you get situated if you haven’t already!_
> 
> _I wasn’t able to find your name registered in the Garrison address book just yet, so I pulled this address from the newsletter the University sent out with your resume, and I’ve got to say… I’m very much looking forward to working with you in the future. You’ve got so many great ideas and I just can’t seem to express my excitement for them all in this email._
> 
> _Again, I’d love to meet and chat with you in person if you have some time on your hands. Let me know what your schedule is like and I’d be more than happy to adjust to it._
> 
> _Best,  
>  Takashi (Shiro) Shirogane_

Allura stared at her screen. Her new co-worker, _Takashi Shirogane_ , sent her an email at 4 am. An email bursting with energy that she couldn’t quite understand at this hour. She was tired. She was cranky… but she could feel his infectious enthusiasm seep into her. Meeting with him would mean less time spent in this apartment. Plus, he took the initiative to reach out to her before Human Resources did and with him working in the same department, he could probably show her around better than HR could. She smiled softly as she tapped _‘reply’._

Even if her living space was run-down with particularly annoying neighbors, at least she had a nice co-worker to look forward to.

That was good enough for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I too, am awake.   
> but i gotta sleep and i need to finish my stupid essay akjehflkahelf  
> this entire collection was just going to be one-shots in nonchronological order but damn do i want to see a developing shallura so here i am torturing myself

**Author's Note:**

> thanks pseudocherry for getting me thinking about writing more for this universe :)!


End file.
